Feb. 17, 2007 -- The Discovery Institute has responded to Darwinian critics who object to Sen. John McCain’s February 23 visit to speak at a luncheon co-hosted by the institute.

“The luncheon is about McCain's vision of the United States' role in the world,” says Robert Crowther, writing at “Evolution News & Views,” a Discovery Institute blog. Crowther is director of media and public relations at Discovery.

The other luncheon co-sponsors are the CityClub of Seattle and the Seattle World Affairs Council.

The luncheon is “hardly an intelligent design related event,” says Crowther, “but some critics of ours can't help but get all in a lather about things like this.”

The Pearcey Report published Tuesday, February 13, a breaking news story on the upset among Darwinians.

On Friday, February 16, Wm. F. Buckley published a column titled “So Help Us Darwin” at National Review online, which is now also featured, along with anti-McCain/anti-Discovery Institute statements, at a Pro-Existence Forumon the question of the senator’s appearance in Seattle.

Pro-Existence is the blog of The Pearcey Report, and it features comments, etc., by editor and publisher Rick Pearcey, as well as by editor at large Nancy Pearcey, who is also a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute.

Buckley’s “response in National Review is concise, succinct and to the point,” says Crowther. “Buckley goes right to the heart of the matter, that for science to progress scientists must be allowed to follow the evidence where it leads, and you cannot just arbitrarily rule things out of bounds.”

Crowther quotes two passage from the Buckley column. First:

“It seems an ancient controversy, and of course it is. Fifteen minutes after Charles Darwin explained his theory of evolution, his disciples -- apostles -- ruled out any heresy on the subject of the naturalist explanation for human life.”The second passage from Buckley, says Crowther, “sums it up nicely”: “But the intelligent liberal community should not impose on anyone a requirement of believing that there is only the single, materialist word on the subject, and that only contempt is merited by those who consent to appear at think tanks composed of men and women prepared to explore ultimate questions, which certainly include the question, Did God have a hand in creating all of this? Including the great messes we live with?”